


Online fantasies.

by jessislame



Category: My Chemical Romance, frerard - Fandom
Genre: Artist!Gerard - Freeform, Frerard, Kid Fic, Kid!Fic, M/M, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, dork!gerard, shy!Gerard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 16:04:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9392642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessislame/pseuds/jessislame
Summary: It has been a long time since Gerard has reconnected with his family and friends due to being at college most of the time. So when he gets an invitation for coffee from an old friend he can't really refuse...can he?





	1. Chapter 1.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I'm a relatively new user and I have rarely posted any of my work on sites before but I just really wanted to write something so here I am! I usually just stick to reading fanfiction but I really wanted to try it out. Whether it will be good or bad who knows?
> 
> I know it is not the best writing in the world but I try my best to make it enjoyable for you all. As a warning, my writing is unbeta'd so there most definitely will be mistakes (and I really apologise for that as I am not the best at grammar/punctuation and the like*sadface*)
> 
> But I want to share this with you all so I hope you guys enjoy this story! Until next time! :D

It was a Friday evening; the moonlight was bouncing off the window panes of Gerard's house as the soft wind rustled through the trees, disturbing the leaves. Gerard was exhausted, he'd been on a college trip today with his art class to New York to look and 'get inspiration' from all of the paintings in the art gallery. To be honest, they were all boring and all displayed one message; the pressure on everyone in society to look perfect.

All these paintings were not filled with love, each stroke was painted onto the canvas in fear of getting it wrong because back then if you made the king or queen look ugly, you were killed. So every canvas that hung up on the walls were made in fear and pressure. One face had caught his eye though. The only portrait that had ever so slightly interested him wasn't a painting. It was a pencil drawing, just a quick sketch. Something maybe he would do. He thought about how he draws, each smudge and each line on his drawings were crucial because he wanted them to be perfect. But perfect as in realistic, the way things are originally, not the way society wants it to be. That's why he loved to draw his friends. They weren't affected by the effects of today, they dressed how they liked, said what they liked. They live their lives the way they wanted with no fear.

When Gerard draws his friends he feels like he needs to get every detail right, from the shine that is placed on his brother's glasses to the spring like features of Ray's hair. When he drew his friends he felt like nothing mattered in the world, not one thing affected him.

As Gerard walked into his room he was greeted by a slow and steady pinging noise from his computer, he threw his backpack on his unmade bed, sat on the stool facing the laptop and unhooked the camera from around his neck. He placed the camera next to the computer careful not to break it because if he did, his grandfather would have killed him. A $700 camera being broken would have given Gerard a kick in the balls or something horrific like that.

He kicked off his shoes not bothering to look where they landed and lifted the screen on the laptop. Since his laptop was a fossil he had to wait a few minutes before it finally churned to life. When it decided to co-operate the screen read that he had received an e-mail from Frank. He opened the message, it read:

"from: fiero@hotmail.co.uk  
to:gerardw23@hotmail.co.uk

Gerard! how have you been man? i miss you a lot. i heard you have gone to ny for the day??? how did that go?? we should meet up soon because im craving a certain type of coffee that only starbucks can give me so yeah, speak to you soon.

Frank. X"

Gerard had known Frank since high school and sure they had kept in touch now and then, exchanging e-mails about life and thoughts, but he hadn't seen Frank since he moved out of his mother's house. He remembers Frank as a teenager, he was rude and excited all the god damn time and he was just the kid that was friends with his younger brother. That's all. Gerard clicked the 'reply' button and stared typing:

"from:gerardw23@hotmail.co.uk  
to:fkiero@hotmail.co.uk

hey:) im okay just really tired, trekking around ny all day has taken it out of me. we totally should meet up, i havent seen you since you were a little snot-nosed brat. im joking, im joking, so like give me a time and a place okay and we can meet and have coffee.

Gerard:)"

The reply came almost instantaneously…

"from:fkiero@hotmail.co.uk  
to:gerardw23@hotmail.co.uk

awesome, btw was that a star trek reference..? dude thats really mean im not a snot-nose kid and i never was, if i remember correctly that was you. how about tomorrow? its saturday tomorrow right? yeah, okay tomorrow at 1 at the 'bucks by the train station?"

X

Gerard punched in a reply confirming the time and place. As soon as he sent the e-mail he had a feeling in his stomach, almost like butterflies. Was he nervous? Why would he be nervous meeting Frank? It's Frank for goodness sakes. Just his little brother's friend who was around his mother's house almost as much as he was. He was like family and it was only coffee.

He closed down his e-mails and clicked on the icon for the internet. A white window popped up onto his screen, the brightness making his eyes squint. He was faced with the Google homepage. Scanning his cursor to the search bar at the top of the screen, he clicked and typed in 'Facebook'.

While he was waited for the page to load he decided to get ready for bed. So he got up off his desk chair and walked over to his bed and rooted through the sheets to find his pyjamas. Once he found them he unpeeled his shirt and pants off, leaving him in just boxers and socks. Finally being able to take a breather, he lay down on his bed and sighed, finally being able to relax and feel his muscles let go and to just let himself be. He felt safe and whole lying there half-naked in his bed but he couldn't help think about tomorrow and what was going to happen. What will they talk about? What will they do after, leave separate ways and only talk trough e-mails or something else? It would be nice to reconnect with his roots more often and Frank can be a key to that.

Gerard opened his eyes and looked over to his laptop screen, which had finally loaded with his Facebook page. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and sat on the seat again. Scrolling down his news feed he noticed Frank has reactivated his account and had posted a few pictures and statuses; so he clicked onto Frank's profile. Most of the statuses were telling people he had reactivated his account, nothing important, and then Gerard got to the pictures. He clicked on the most recent one and waited for it to load. When it did Gerard's screen was bombarded with a picture of Frank and Mikey, Gerard's brother.

It looked like Mikey had gotten taller but still had kept his skinny lean ways. Both of the men were smiling and happy, the light shining from their eyes and it made Gerard's heart hurt. He should be there with them. He looked to Frank and he noticed that he had changed a hell of a lot, not so much a snot-nosed kid more like a...fully grown man; an attractive man at that. This just made Gerard's thoughts and fears about tomorrow resurface. How was he going to be able to talk to Frank now that he knows how attractive he grew up to be?

Gerard closed the laptop without even bothering to sign out or turn it off. He slumped back over to his bed and didn't even bother putting his shirt on as he climbed between the sheets and stared at the ceiling, thoughts of tomorrow plaguing his mind.


	2. Chapter 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all are liking it so far...I know the chapters are short but they will get longer I promise!
> 
> On another note! Have some Frank!
> 
> Enjoy, guys and I will see you next time! :D

When Gerard had woken up there was a slight haze coming through his windows, beaming onto his face. The light was hitting him straight in the eyes and it eventually got so strong it woke him up. He leaned over the side of the bed to his clock and noticed it had just gone past 9am so he swung his legs over the side, leaning his elbows on his knees. Bringing his hands up to his face he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes which eventually brought him to a more awake state.

After a few minutes he had managed to build up the courage to stand up and make his way to the kitchen whilst yawning and muttering under his breath about the 'fucking morning sun shining on his fucking face'.

Sighing, he picked up his Star Wars mug that was resting by the percolator and switched it on. It was then that he realised he was only in his boxers, not that it bothered him, he lived alone and what is the point in living alone if he can't walk around half-naked? He leant against the kitchen counter, the cold side making him jump when his bare back hit the wood. He thought back to last night and the plans that he had made with Frank. Frank had asked him to meet him at 1 so that gave him a good 3 and a half hours that he could kill. He could work on his project for college or take a shower or take a quick trip to the art store before he meets up with Frank.

While he was thinking he noticed his percolator had finished brewing so he turned around and poured himself a generous helping of coffee, keeping it black to wake him up a little. As he sipped, he leaned back against the counter once again and closed his eyes inhaling the scent that was wafting into his nostrils. He felt himself calm down but slowly wake up at the same time.

With the mug in hand he climbed the stairs to his bedroom and picked up his phone which was busy charging on the bedside table, he had no new texts or phone calls so he put it back on the table whilst swallowing the last few dregs of coffee and put the mug next to his phone. Seeing as he decided to shower he entered the bathroom and turned it on, getting it to a nice, warm temperature.

He pulled down his boxers and let them fall to the floor and stepping out of them. He then walked over to the shower, missing the mirror completely, and stepped underneath the spray. A sigh of relief passed through his lips as he felt the water run over his body, cleansing him. He poured some shampoo into the palm of his hand and lathered it into his hair, feeling the suds drip down his back as the water flowed over his head and shoulders.

His mind wandered as he showered. Images and ideas passed through his head as he thought about what his final piece for his college could be. What was his theme and how was he going to portray it through his art?

As he thought about it he closed his eyes and tipped his head back so his face was being hit by the steady stream of water. It was refreshing for him. He couldn't remember the last time he had had the time to have a lengthy shower like this and actually feel himself let go. He washed the last of the suds from his hair and made himself turn off the shower and step out.

He reached up to the cabinet over the sink and pulled out a towel and securely wrapped it around his waist and walked back into his bedroom; one hand holding the towel up as he walked and the other running through his wet hair.

When he reached his bedroom he dried himself off with the towel and walked up to the closet. He had to decide on what to wear and it has to be something actually clean and presentable not just something he's been using for college that has been thrown on the floor. He was rummaging through his closet and all of a sudden the feelings from last night returned. He was suddenly nervous. His stomach churning and fluttering with the concept that this could be considered a date. He hadn't been on a date in God knows how long and it was really starting to sink in that this could be considered one.

In the end he settled for a simple white t-shirt and a pair of tight-fitting jeans. He decided to actually blow dry his hair instead of letting it dry naturally and tried to make it look at least a little bit presentable.

**

Before he knew it, it was 12:30 and he had to start making his way to meet Frank, so he grabbed his phone, wallet and keys and left is house without forgetting to lock the door after him. He walked over to his beat-up old car, got in and put the key into the ignition. As soon as he started the car the radio boomed to life, almost deafening Gerard so he turn it down. He pulled out of the driveway of his house and drove the way to the coffee house he was meeting Frank at.

By the time he had managed to arrive it was going on 12:45, even if he was a little early it didn't matter, he'd get them a table and order his coffee and maybe a little something to nibble on whilst he waited. He found a suitable parking spot in front of the coffee house and locked the door of his car. As he walked into the store he pocketed his keys and walked over to the counter. A girl with light brown hair, wearing the uniform of the store, walked over to him with a cloth in her hand.

"What can I get ya?" She smiled.

"Can I get a medium coffee, please? Black?" He said whilst he fished his wallet out of his back pocket.

"Sure thing." And with that she turned around and started pushing buttons on the sleek, black machine that stood behind her. When she returned she was holding a white, porcelain cup filled with Gerard's coffee; she slid it over to him and punched in a few numbers into the cash register. "Here you go, and that will be $3.50 please, sir."

He handed her the money and smiled into his cup. "Please, don't call me sir it makes me feel terrible, like I'm above you or something but thank you..um," he looked at the badge that was pinned to her shirt, "Anna."

"Oh okay, what would you like me to call you then?" Anna smirked, putting her elbows on the counter and leaning her chin in her hands.

Gerard wrapped his hands around the cup and the heat warmed his fingers a considerable amount. What was this girl doing? "Well I don't see why I can't tell you. I'm Gerard." He put out a hand for her to shake and she grabbed a hold of it, gently shaking it. She hung on for a bit longer than was considered 'normal' but Gerard overlooked it.

"It's nice to meet you Gerard." She went back to having her elbows on the counter. "Well now that we have been properly introduced how about this...can I get your number?" Anna asked with a sickly sweet tone to her voice. She bit the side of her lip in a way that was supposed to be considered attractive.

Gerard was taken back at this and he really wanted to say no but he was always bad at saying no to people. He was just about to let her down easy when a small hand landed in the small of his back applying a tiny amount of pressure. He looked to his right and there stood Frank; a huge smile adoring his face.

"Gerard! Oh my god, how have you been? I missed you!" Frank stood up on his tippy toes and hugged him, his arms wrapping around Gerard's shoulders, placing his head on his shoulder. Gerard had this overwhelming feeling to hug Frank back so he did. He wrapped his arms around Frank's middle and squeezed gently. He took a small glance at Anna and saw that she was pouting and wiping down the counter while taking small glances at them.

Frank was the first one to let go and when he did Gerard came face to face with Frank's huge smile.

"Hey Frank. I've been good, how have you been? You've changed a lot since I last saw you." He couldn't help smiling back at Frank; it was almost if his smile was contagious.

"Good. Oh man it has been up and down you know? I know right same to you. I'm not a little kid any more, right?"

"You could say that again." He laughed. "Order a coffee from Anna and meet me over there," he pointed to a 4-seated table in the corner of the room, okay?" Frank nodded and turned to Anna. Gerard then grabbed his coffee off the counter and walked over to the seat that was facing the counter and waited for Frank to place his order. Gerard placed his mug on the table in front of him and took a sip. Over the rim of the mug he could see Frank flip the bird at Anna before he came sauntering over to the chair in front of Gerard. This was going to be interesting.


	3. Chapter 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the subs, kudos and hits!! Every one means the world to me, I'm so happy this story is being enjoyed even if it's by a small number of people. Thank you thank you thank you. Now though, enjoy the newest chapter!

Frank sauntered over to Gerard's table and took a sip of his beverage that he had just ordered. As he sat down Gerard could feel his face heat up slightly, but it wasn't from Frank, of course not it was the heat from his coffee surely.

Gerard cleared his throat and looked to Frank, "How come you just flipped her off? Was she rude or something?"

"Ahh it was nothing, she just said some stuff I didn't like, that's all." He smiled. "So, how long has it been since I've seen you? It seems like years."

Gerard grabbed a packet of sugar from the basket in the middle of the table and ripped it open, pouring the contents onto the table. He ran his finger through the mound creating a long black stripe through the sugar. He kept pushing his fingers through the granules as he spoke to try and keep himself calm.

"I'm not sure, gotta be 3 or 4?" He shrugged. "I mean I moved out when I was 19, I'm 23 in April so...yeah about that." He pushed all the sugar granules back together again to remake the mound, pushing his fingers through again.

Frank was staring at Gerard's fingers and he played with the sugar, his eyes focused on the little particles of sugar being pushed around and he just gave a short 'hmm' to answer. Gerard took this time to look at Frank, really look at him. He couldn't help but compare him to the kid that used to be around his house 24/7 but he wasn't anything like that now. Back then he had a haircut that represented a bowl cut, his cheeks were soft and plump with a rosy tinge and his chin was round supporting an almost double chin. Now though, Frank had his own style and it suited him well. His once rounded chin had turned into a well-defined jawline with a chiselled chin, his wavy hair was long around his ears and it gave out a vibe that said 'run your fingers through me'. As Gerard kept looking he kept seeing little imperfections on Frank's skin like little pricks where the skin has been worn away. Like the little pinprick on the side of Frank's mouth, maybe he used to have a lip ring? He stopped playing with the sugar and lifted his coffee to his lips.

Sitting in front of him was a completely new man to what he was comfortable with. Even down to his clothes, they were obviously work clothes, what with the button up shirt, tie with pants and shoes. The whole outfit screamed 'respect me I'm business!'. Although his attire was business you could still see specks of Frank that was peeking through. You could see the start of a tattoo on his neck, the smudge of black just above his collar on his shirt and of course there were the letters that were littering his knuckles. Oranges and blacks mingling together. Gerard couldn't make out what the letters spelled but he wanted to know.

"So where do you work, Gerard?" The question took him off guard but he regained his composure. Don't let him intimidate you, Gerard.

"Well, um, obviously I'm in my last few months of college but I still have my apartment although my-my mom and dad will help with that until I finish college but I do some shifts at a local comic book store if-if they need me. What about you? You've got the whole business thing down to a T."

"Are you serious? That's awesome, I bet it's fun too." Frank took his phone out of his pants pocket and unlocked the screen. Gerard couldn't see the wallpaper but it was obvious it was a person that was adoring the screen. He internally sighed, of course he would have someone. "Well you're right I have this shitty job I have to wear suits for and it is boring as hell but it pays the bills, right?" He chuckled and put his phone away.

As he put his phone in his pocket Gerard could make out the first few letters on his knuckles. It spelt 'hallo'. This was confusing. Maybe Gerard was mistaken but he couldn't help but think that was the German word for hello. Maybe Frank really loved the German language..? Then that thought spiralled into another thinking why Frank would have that anywhere on his body let alone his knuckles. Obviously his confusion had shown on his face because Frank coughed slightly which pulled Gerard from his thoughts.

"Ha, yeah of course, can't complain. So, erm, anything new happen over the past 4 years?"

Frank's eyes widened slightly and he put his cup down with a soft chink. This time it was Frank's turn to play with the discarded sugar as he spoke. "Yeah actually, something pretty big happened. I have the best girl in my life now. She has really changed my life. Her name is Leia." Frank's smile was back and it took over his face. Whoever this Leia girl was she was doing wonders to Frank. You could tell by the way his smile stuck to his face as he spoke that he really loved this girl.

Of course Gerard was happy for Frank, of course he was. Frank was in a relationship and loved it, but he was also 2 years younger than Gerard. How come Frank could find someone and Gerard couldn't? What was wrong with him? Maybe it was the way he skipped on words when speaking to new people or the way that he would always shy away when trying to start a conversation. He couldn't help not being able to come up with a conversation starter, it was just the way he was. But he still couldn't get that ounce of jealously that pricked at his gut as Frank kept talking about this Leia. Until it hit Gerard about the name.

"Wait, Leia as in Princess Leia? Leia Leia? Star Wars?"

Frank just looked at Gerard for a second, eye brows raised slightly until he let out a breathy chuckle. "Yeah, kinda. Her dad is a Star Wars nut."

"Are you kidding me?" Gerard grinned into his now cold coffee and tried his hardest not to laugh.

Frank just looked at him confused and a little hurt. His drink forgotten on the table in front of him. He just nodded, "I'm deadly serious, Gerard. You should meet her, she would love you."

Gerard considered it for a second. Did he want to meet her? Did he want to risk seeing Frank and this Leia girl happy and get jealous all over again? "Plus you could see your mom and Mikey." Frank added and that sealed the deal. He missed his mom and Mikey a lot, he hadn't seen them since his birthday last year and it was now February.

He nodded, "Yeah that would be cool, I've missed them a lot. I suppose I could use a few days away. I could go Sunday to Wednesday or something since I have a class on Thursday I can't miss but the rest I can."

Frank grinned again and took his phone out again. "Shit. My lunch is nearly over. I better go."

"You're working on a Saturday?"

Frank nodded and downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp, "Yeah, just today though, I don't normally work Saturdays because of Leia but today it was pretty last minute so.."

"Oh of course I understand, do you want a ride? I assume you caught a taxi or something?"

"Oh no no I couldn't, I got the bus here, left the car at work."

"Come on I'll give you a ride it won't be any trouble, I swear, scouts honour." He pushed the unfinished coffee to the centre of the table and walked out of Starbucks with Frank hot on his heels. He stopped in front of his car, unlocked it and got in. Frank did the same.

"Sweet ride." Frank ran his hands over the dashboard and Gerard inwardly cringed and prayed there wasn't any dust there for Frank to run his hands in.

Gerard pulled out of his parking space and Frank directed him towards his work place. The drive was comfortable and relaxed, a lot less awkward like the coffee shop. They were friends again and it felt nice to be able to have someone like that. Gerard felt comfortable around Frank; it was like he could let out an energy that was instantly calming, putting all at ease. He spoke with his hands too, emphasising certain points with different movements. A blur of reds and oranges flashed in corner of Gerard's eyes as he drove and he fell in love with that mixture of colour.

After about 10 minutes of driving and Frank telling Gerard about how much he's missed him and how he is a 'crazy ass fool' for not visiting, they arrived at Frank's workplace.

The building was huge, towering over them both. Thousands of windows were placed along the front of the building making the building look more modern. The revolving doors at the front were rotating as people wearing similar attire to Frank walked through.

"Wow. Windows." That was all Gerard could say.

"Yeah, but those windows make it so hot in there. Anyway, thanks for bringing me back I really appreciate it."

Gerard nodded and held out his hand for Frank to take. Frank slipped his hand into his and used his hand as leverage to pull him into a hug. It was awkward positioning with the gear stick sticking into Gerard's thigh but it was nice; like the one in Starbucks. Frank let go and patted his hands on his thighs.

"So I'll erm, see you soon then."

"Yeah you will, I'll talk to my mom tonight and I'll email you or something about tomorrow."

"Awesome, I'll see you tomorrow Gerard." Frank pulled him into another hug and sprinted out of the car towards the building.

"Bye, Frank." Was all that Gerard said, although sadly it was to an empty car.


	4. Chapter 4.

On the drive back to his house Gerard had a lot of thinking to do. For one he had to talk to his mom about going to stay for a few days, surely she wouldn’t mind him visiting it was his mom after all. Secondly, he had to contend with these new feelings that had surfaced during his time with Frank. Gerard was so confused and disappointed but at the same time he had prickles of happiness mixed in with it. He hadn’t felt these emotions in a long time and it scared him a lot and the more he thought about it the more confused he got. These feelings were popping up out of nowhere and he didn’t like it so he decided to push them into the back of his mind and tried to focus on the other thing he had to do. Calling his mother. 

In the car he came to a stop at a red light so he took his phone out of his pocket, attached it to the speaker jack on his radio and called his mom; she answered after only a few rings. 

“Hello? Gerard?” Her voice was bright and happy and it made his chest twinge slightly. He really missed his mom.

“Hi mama, how are you?” He said as he put his foot down on the accelerator and continued his journey home.

“I’m much better now thank you, sweetie. I miss you a lot. How are you?”

“I miss you too, mama. I’m fine I just wanted to call and ask you if I can come back home for a few days? I met up with an old friend today and it would be nice to see everyone. I don’t know… I’m feeling…I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.”

“Of course you can come, sweetie, you know you’re always welcome here, this is your home. Truth be told I need someone here to talk to other than your father.”

“Mom what’s happened? Where’s Mikes?” Just as he said this Gerard’s stomach dropped thinking the worst. He always pictured his mom and dad happy forever.

“Nothing is wrong Gerard calm down. I just need someone to talk style with and you know your father and brother are useless with this stuff.” Gerard had arrived back home now so he parked into the driveway. 

“Mom don’t do that you scared me I thought you and dad had had a fight or something serious, please mom.”

Gerard’s mother began chuckling down the phone. He could picture her running her hands through her hair as she did it, a feature he had picked up when he was little.  
“When are you planning on coming?” Her voice was a lot lighter now. Hopeful and excited at the prospect of seeing her oldest son again after so long. They hadn’t seen each other in quite some time and it was really starting to take a toll on both of them. For Gerard it was having somebody caring and nurturing close by to help you when you’re down. For his mom it was having her son so close but not being able to visit into his busy lifestyle, it hurt not being able to hug him whenever she wanted or to be able to talk about mundane things over tea and coffee, it was the little things.

“Well I was thinking of coming tomorrow, if that’s okay of course?” He said as he tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel, another habit of his he had taken from his mother.

“Absolutely, sweetheart! Come whenever you like.”

“Okay mama, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye baby.” And with that he unplugged the handset from his speakers and pressed the red ‘end call’ button on his phone. So that was that; he was going to his mom’s for a few days, seeing his family and hopefully seeing Frank again. He will probably have to meet Frank’s girlfriend too. That should be interesting; of course Gerard has no right to be jealous of this woman. Just because he met Frank first doesn’t mean that he has some sort of right to him. He is just a concerned friend that’s all. At least that is what he keeps on telling himself.

The rest of the day was spent packing a few things into a large bag; clothes, toiletries and art supplies that sort of thing. Items that will help him get through a few days away from his home. He also decided he would have to try and clean the place up a bit before he left. He would hate coming back from Jersey to a messy house. Gerard whizzed around his house vacuuming, dusting, doing the dishes and even washing the clothes he was going to take to his mother’s house. While he was doing that he was texting his brother talking about tomorrow and why he suddenly wanted to go and visit. He told him about his encounter with Frank that had stirred up some feelings inside that he was not familiar with. Of course his brother was particularly cruel with his teasing telling him that Frank was way out of his league now and that he should have ‘snapped him up when he had the chance’ back when they were living together.

How was he supposed to ‘snap him up’ if he didn’t even know if there was anything left snapping up? How was he able to do that when he has a girlfriend and by the looks of it he was pretty invested in her, heck he could even be planning to marry her or he could already be married to her. 

No matter how hard he tried, how much he tried to clean and keep himself busy his mind kept creeping back to Frank and their encounter earlier that day. Before he knew it he had done everything that he needed to do, that included getting a head start on his college project; but he just wasn’t feeling up to it so he sat at his computer that night exchanging e-mails with Frank, telling him about his plans of going to his mother’s tomorrow. Frank replied and said that he would try to make it there around two-ish. It all depended on how Leia was feeling. 

And that was when Gerard’s stomach dropped harshly. He was going to meet her tomorrow and he would have to act like he was an ordinary friend of Frank’s, not someone who was slowly developing feelings for the shorter man. He could definitely do this. He was gifted at this type of thing; he may be awkward but that is the reason why it works so well. People find his awkwardness so weird they hardly pay any attention to what he says or what his body portrays. 

So with a heavy, anxious heart Gerard shut his laptop down, placed it on top of his pile of clothes and slipped into his bed. He doubted he would be able to get any sort of sleep what so ever but he wanted to try.

Gerard was right. He didn’t get to sleep until three AM that morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short, fillery one for now but I am working on the next one right now! Keep your eyes peeled as it should be uploaded very very soon!!   
> XO


	5. Chapter 5.

The drive to his mom’s wasn’t long, it wasn’t tiring but when he had arrived he was practically exhausted. This was because of his late night last night. Staying up until 3am and then driving was not a good idea.

As he drove down the familiar setting of the street that he grew up in, memories flooding his head both good and bad. When Mikey broke his arm falling out of the old spindly tree on the side of the road, he and his brother making go-karts out of old wood and skateboard wheels. These memories were running his mind wild, not helping his ever growing headache, as he cruised down the road looking for his old home. Gerard immediately spotted his mother standing outside waiting in her white blouse and pink skirt. Her hair was hanging loose gathering at her shoulders, the blonde locks looking as curly as ever. She looked like absolute perfection. She looked like his mother. 

Gerard turned his radio down and pulled into the empty spot in front of the house, seeing his mother start walking down the pathway to his beat up old car. He turned off the engine, got out and pretty much jumped at his mom; 

“Mama.” Was all that he could muster before embracing her in a death-grip hug. Being there was already becoming so emotional and he didn’t know whether it was from lack of sleep or him just being in touch with his feelings recently. 

His mother hugged her son tightly not wanting to let go, so they didn’t. They both knew how much the other needed this so they stood next to Gerard’s car just holding each other. Gerard may have let a few tears fall but nobody would ever get that information out of him. Nope, no way.

When they both had the courage to let each other go, Gerard’s mother held him at arm’s length and truly looked at her oldest son. He had got slightly thinner over the past year or so, nothing to worry about but he had indeed changed. His once shorter brown hair was now down by his chin and black, she took a few seconds to take in the change but found that it was growing on her by the second. Even if he didn’t look like he did last time it was still her son standing in front of her and for that she was grateful.

“You look so good, sweetheart. I missed you so much.” She said as she brought him back into another hug.

“I missed you too mama but you’re kind of squeezing the air out of me.” He breathed heavily when she let him go taking him by the hand and leading him into the house.

“I’m sorry honey I just really needed to hold you. It’s hard being away from you for so long. Don’t you ever do that to me again! Ya’ hear?” 

“Yes ma,” He replied whilst rubbing the top of his arm where she had just hit him, “where’s Mikes and Dad?”

“Oh, they have gone to the store. I’m making pasta and meatballs tonight for you so they have gone to get some supplies. We are going to make the pasta by hand too. I thought it would be nice for Leia to be involved as she will be here with Frank for dinner.”

“She will?” He knew she was coming with him to visit but he didn’t know she would be helping his mother and him make the pasta for the dinner. It was always something they did together and he didn’t want anyone to disrupt that, especially someone who is dating the man he wanted. He wanted to spend the least amount of time with her as possible. Then he would be able to convince himself that she is no good for Frank. He hoped.

“Of course. Why would he leave her behind, sweetie?”

“Why would he bring her?” Gerard muttered to himself.

Obviously it wasn’t quiet enough because Mikey walked around the corner carrying a bag of items, “Getting jealous, bro?”

As soon as he hear his little brother’s voice Gerard turned around in his seat and jumped up to hug him. Mikey brought his hands up around his brother’s waist, bag in hand, and returned the hug with as much might.

“Mikey! Good to see you, man.” He dropped his hand from around his brother, took the bag from his hand and dropped it onto the counter. As he turned around he spotted a figure in the background and he immediately knew it was his father. He strode over to him and offered his hand out for him to shake, “Hi, Dad.” Was all he manged without tears brimming at his eyes once more.

His father took Gerard’s hand in his own and shook once, twice, squeezing hard. “It’s good to see you, son. You’re looking well.”

“I’d say he looks like a girl with that freaking haircut, well lack of.” Mikey sniggered taking a bite out of the apple he was eating. 

“Michael don’t be like that. Apologise to your brother!” 

“No…mom he does! I’m only telling the goddamn truth here.” 

“I don’t care what you think you’re saying, apologise to your brother.” She said as she walked up to Mikey and pinched his ear. Mikey immediately recoiled, his neck cricked to the left to try and dislodge his mother’s fingers from the top of his ear.

“Ow, ow.. mom! Please! It hurts,” she pretended that she didn’t hear him and continued to pinch his reddening ear,”Okay okay! I’m sorry Gee I didn’t mean it.” 

Donna promptly released his ear after hearing his apology, smiling as she did it. Mikey rubbed his sore ear and pouted at both his mother and his brother. Donna walked around the counter and picked up the bag to put the ingredients away. The supplies that were needed later such as eggs and flour were placed on the side next to a large bowl.

“So when are Frank and Leia coming?” she asked as she continued her activities.

“They should be here soon. I texted him a while ago and he said he was leaving so...” Mikey answered as he tapped at his phone, completely absorbed.

“That’s lovely it’ll be a great little get together with all of us and Leia is so cute you’re going to love her Gerard.” Donna clapped her hands together and looked at him. The excitement on her face was very visible, she just wanted everyone to be here already so they could all reacquaint and get back into old ways. She always loved it when the boys were together, they would bring out the best in each other and a little bit of the worst. They were adventurous and mischievous and she just wanted a little of that back even if the boys were all grown up. 

“I’m sure she is, ma.” Gerard said. He tried not to seem like he was dreading seeing her but deep down he was and he was disappointed in himself for it. He wanted to give this girl a chance but all he could think of was that Frank knew him before her, he was hurt and he had no right to be. He lost that right when he moved away. “I’m gonna go get my bag from my car and take it up to my room, okay? I’ll be down soon, gonna unpack.”

With that Gerard stood up and left the kitchen to go outside to his car. Unlocking it as he walked down the path he heaved the bag onto his shoulder and went back inside. He heaved under the weight of the bag; it didn’t seem this heavy when he put it in his car this morning. ‘Oh well’ he thought as he took the bag upstairs. Up the stairs he stopped in the hallway looking at all the photos his mother had kept whilst he was away. There were lots adoring the walls, all of them included either him or Mikey on their own or with friends. The one that really caught his eye was one of Mikey, Frank and himself. All three of them were stood up with their arms resting on each other’s shoulders. Frank was in the middle smiling wide with his toothless gums. His brown hair was all over the place. Mikey was on the left of Frank, a finger up his nose with a scrunched up face. His glasses were dirty and smudged; how he ever saw through them we will never know. Lastly was Gerard, on the right of Frank, he was standing there with his arm around Frank’s shoulders whilst looking at him. He was smiling at his brother and his friend a smudge of dirt down his cheek and neck. It had been a great day it seems even though he hardly remembered it.  
Gerard felt his fingers begin to ache as the bag’s weight began to worsen over his shoulder so he stopped looking at the photo on the wall and walked towards his old room. He pushed the brass doorknob so the door would swing open and walked through. 

It was definitely his old room but his mom had added a touch of ‘Donna flare’ as she called it. His once black walls and sheets were a delicate beige and his furniture had been moved around. He didn’t hate it; but he didn’t love it either. The few posters he left behind on the walls had been taken down, rolled and put on top of his desk with a band around them. He walked over to the bed and settled his bag down unpacking his stuff slowly as he tried to take in his new surroundings. 

Once Gerard had finished putting his things away he sat on his bed and took another look at his new-old room. He really didn’t like the new paint job but his mother did so that is all that matters. She changed this room when he moved out, she wanted something to do. Obviously she spoke to him and asked him if it was okay with him and of course he said yes it is his mother after all.

Gerard must have fallen asleep because he was suddenly being woken up by Mikey sitting on his bed poking his chest.

“Go away, Mikey, I’m tired.” 

“Yeah well you can sleep tonight, mom wants you downstairs we have company and by company I mean Frank.” Mikey got up and walked to the door, just as he reached it he turned around and leaned against it, “so you better come down. I know how much you like Frank.” He smirked and walked down the hall to get back to the others.

“Fuck you Mikey Way.” Gerard said to himself. He knew it was a mistake telling his little brother about these feelings. Even so he couldn’t leave them downstairs so he clambered up out of bed; he didn’t remember how comfy his old bed was until now. All he wanted was to be back inside it. It was so soft, so much better than his one back home. He definitely made a mistake by leaving his old bed with his mother. It would also serve as great covers between him, Frank and his girlfriend. The more he thought about it, staying in bed seemed like a great option right now.

Gerard walked out of his room and downstairs where everyone was gathered. His dad, Mikey and Frank were standing around the island counter in the middle. At first he saw Mikey talking to Frank on the other side of the island. Frank looked even better than he did yesterday if that was possible. He wasn’t wearing his work suit today as it was his day off. Instead he was wearing, he presumed, black pants (he couldn’t see behind the counter) and a shirt that hugged his small figure nicely. It definitely was a nice change and it seemed like Frank was feeling a little more relaxed too. 

At first they didn’t seem to notice that Gerard had emerged from upstairs but then Frank looked to his left and saw him standing there.

“Hey! There you are!” He beamed at Gerard with a wide smile.

“Here I am, ha.” He waved his hands around trying to emphasise the sarcastic-ness dripping from his voice. Come to think of it there were two people that were missing from this gathering. Where was his mom? And Frank’s girlfriend for that matter? Surely they hadn’t left together or something.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Frank pulling him into an embrace. This one felt so, so much better as a gearstick wasn’t sticking into his thigh this time. Frank had to stand on his tippy toes to reach and Gerard found it adorable.

“So where’s mom?” he asked Mikey as he let Frank go.

“Oh she’s in the sitting room with Leia whilst Mikey and I caught up.” Goddamn it did Frank ever stop smiling? Even though he did feel that pang in his chest when her name was mentioned that smile made it feel a lot better. “Wait here a second. I’ll go get them.” And with that Frank left the kitchen and went into the sitting room.

There were a few moments of silence and then Mikey came over to him, placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear, “Be nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said there would be a new chapter up today and here it is :-)
> 
> Please, everyone enjoy!
> 
> Until next time  
> XO


	6. Chapter 6.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellllooo I'm back and (hopefully) better than ever :') How are you guys doing? I hope you enjoy this chapter because I did!  
> Thanks you guys for everything and enjoy this latest installment :-)  
> And until next time...enjoy meeting Leia...
> 
> XO

Gerard could feel his brother’s hand on his shoulder strong and reassuring; tethering him to the ground when he so desperately wanted to go away. He turned to Mikey, a small smile was playing on his face and it confused Gerard. A lot. 

Suddenly, he heard Frank’s voice flitter through the doorway, “Come one baby, don’t be shy, they’re not going to hurt you.”

Frank appeared in the threshold, a huge smile on his face and a hand behind his back. Gerard was expecting to see a beautiful woman standing behind him. Someone that would put him to shame; both appearance and personality-wise. Instead his eyes landed on a small child. She came up to just above Frank’s hip as she clung to his leg. Her brown hair was in little ringlets as it framed her young face and soft green eyes. 

Gerard’s breath hitched in his throat. Why was she here? Surely she wasn’t Frank’s daughter? It just didn’t seem plausible, of course Frank was very promiscuous in his youth but he never expected a child to be the result of it. She couldn’t have been more than four years old judging by her features and height. Although there was the possibility that she took after her father on that feature as Frank wasn’t the tallest person ever. 

Gerard half expected someone else to walk around the corner to accompany them but she never did. He then realised he had been staring at the poor girl and he was probably scaring the living hell out of her. Straightening himself up he walked slowly over to Frank and knelt down in front of him so he was eye to eye with the little girl; trying his best to have a smile that wasn’t frightening on his face. 

She slid behind her father a little bit more so all Gerard could see was half of her face and a hand that clinged to Frank’s leg. Frank brought his hand down on to her head and softly ran his tattooed fingers through her dark hair; silently telling her to be brave. “Baby, this is your uncle Gee, say hello.” He urged.

Gerard put his hand up by his face and did a small wave, “Hi there, what’s your name?” He said quietly. He hoped he hadn’t frightened the small child but his worries were put aside when she walked out from behind Frank and held her hand out for Gerard to shake. He took her hand and slowly shook her hand up and down. 

“Hello unc-uncle Gee. My name is Leia. You have nice hair.” She said as she looked up at him, she was slowly becoming more confident. 

“Thank you, Leia.” He smiled, “I love your sweater!” Gerard pointed to the bright pink sweater she was wearing.

Leia’s eyes seemed to light up at that and she looked up at her father, pulling on his arm. “See Daddy uncle Gee likes my sweater.” She came a few steps close to Gerard and leant forwards to whisper in his ear, “Daddy doesn’t like it because it has cats on. He doesn’t like cats.”

“That is a lie! I like cats, just not glittery ones. I’m finding glitter everywhere lately. She’s going through the stage that everything has to be shiny. You should have seen her face this morning when I told her she couldn’t put glitter in her hair.”

Gerard chuckled, his calves were starting to ache from being down on his hunches for a long time but he couldn’t stop smiling at this little girl. She was so cute. Her dark hair hung around her face and it made her eyes shine incredibly bright. She had Frank’s nose and bowed lips with freckles dotted around her nose and it made her look so innocent. This was definitely better than what he was expecting a few minutes before. Absolutely. He could totally deal with a kid. Kids were easy compared to what he was preparing himself for.

“Daddy can me and uncle Mikey go play?” She asked hopefully. Frank glanced at Mikey who was in the middle of texting on his phone, leaning on the counter behind Gerard. At the sound of his name Mikey did pull his head up from his phone.

“Sure but I think you should ask uncle Mikes first if he wants to play.” She nodded and slowly walked up to Mikey and tugged on his shirt to get his attention. Behind her Gerard stood up straight next to Frank.

“Please uncle Mikey, can we play now please?” She asked. She had got to be the most polite child in the world. How could Mikey even think of saying no to that face?

“Of course, I seem to remember that we had some unfinished business from last time you were here.” With that he took Leia’s hand and followed her back into the sitting room where, Gerard guessed, Leia’s toys were. Donna followed after them a few seconds later saying that she wanted to keep an eye on the little girl because last time she knotted Mikey’s hair in an attempt to ‘make it pretty’. 

And that was that, they were alone again. Even after meeting up for coffee Gerard was still feeling awkward and that was the last thing he wanted to happen with Frank. So he decided to do what he does best and that was make coffee. He really did need it, his calves were hurting and his mouth was dry. 

Gerard walked to the counter where the percolator was and switched it on, “You want a cup?” He motioned to Frank behind him with an empty mug in his hand. Frank nodded with a quiet ‘please’ added on. Gerard made them both a mug of coffee, black for him and two sugars with a dash of milk for Frank. He hoped that was how he liked; that’s how he used to take it. 

“So…” He said while placing the mugs on the counter in front of Frank, “You have a daughter now?” Gerard asked taking a small sip; careful not to burn his tongue on the hot liquid. 

Frank took his mug in his hands, softly blowing the steam that was coming from the top of the cup. “Yeah, I sure do. It’s crazy right?” Even through the steam he could tell Frank was smiling softly. “She’s amazing, really coming into herself recently. She’s got a fiery attitude too.” 

“Sounds like someone else I know…” Frank gently hit the side of Gerard’s arm with a shocked expression on his face. “What? You’re pretty fuckin’ angry sometimes Frankie. Especially if you’re told ‘no’.” 

“What can I say? When I want something I’ll throw everything I have into making sure I get it.” He smirked taking another sip of coffee. Gerard’s face heated up a small blush beginning to form on his cheeks. He had to admit some pretty dirty thoughts went through his mind when Frank said that to him. For some reason he got the feeling that he was talking about something different rather than what he had led on. 

“I wish I was as head-strong as you, Frankie. You’re not afraid of what people think of you. I admire that.” He genuinely did. Frank was careless about everything that he didn’t want to pay attention to. Whereas Gerard couldn’t help but take notice of the little things that people did. He couldn’t even sit on the bus without getting paranoid; that eventually led him to getting his old beat up car so he wouldn’t have to endure that any longer.

Frank put his mug on the table and gently put his hand on top of Gerard’s left hand. “Gee, you don’t need to think like that. If people want to be like that then let them, you have nothing to worry about, you’re perfect. They’re just jealous.” They both smiled at each other and something seemed to shift in the air between them. Gerard looked down at their touching hands and Frank pulled his back to cradle his mug again. Gerard had so wished to pull his hand back and entwine them again; it felt so warm and comforting, something he was sorely lacking lately. 

“Thank you, Frankie. So uhh…why didn’t you tell me about Leia? When you said you had someone special in your life I thought you meant a significant other, kinda got me worried there.” He put his coffee down and ran his fingers through his hair; did he really just say that? Hopefully Frank hadn’t picked up on it. 

“Why would you be worried? Jealous?” He winked over his mug. He really had to stop peeking over his mug again otherwise Gerard was going to explode. It was the way his eyes looked dark and mysterious over the rim of the coffee mug, it made Gerard’s gut swirl with excitement. Gerard’s blush returned bigger and brighter than ever, he could feel it burning on his cheeks down to his neck.

“No,” he lied, “I was just worried for the person you were with. You can be quite a handful sometimes.” 

“Oh yeah? But isn’t that half the fun?” 

“Yeah I guess it is.” Truthfully, he didn’t know, the relationships he had been in had all been pretty mundane and that’s why they are that-in the past. He desperately needed to inject some excitement into his love life. He had been pretty content when they were actually happening but now he could see he was just lonely and craved that companionship. 

“So are you still with Leia’s mom?”

Frank shook his head, his mouth still full of coffee. After he had swallowed he answered, “No no no, hell no. Don’t get me wrong I love her, she’s the mother of my child, but god that woman was full on. She just wasn’t ready to be a mother, which I totally get. I wasn’t ready either but I guess I was the best choice for Leia at that moment and I’m thankful I was because I can’t picture my life without her anymore.”

“So, she what? Just left?”

“No we came to an agreement, I would take custody of Leia but she would get frequent updates on her. When she’s in town we have dinner together too. It’s nice. Nicer than what some dad’s get these days that’s for sure.”

Gerard couldn’t agree more with what Frank was saying he had heard plenty of stories of mothers not agreeing to let fathers see their children. It was great that Frank and Leia’s mom could work something out that was pleasant for both parties involved. After all they both wanted what was best for Leia. Gerard voiced his opinions to Frank and he agreed whole-heartedly. 

Just as they were finishing up their conversation Mikey came walking into the kitchen with a dozen or so pink clips in his hair. His glasses were lopsided on his face and he was wearing a very flattering shade of red lipstick and eyeshadow. He looked exhausted. 

Gerard stopped talking mid-sentence when he walked in, taking a good look at his younger brother now turned sister. He slid his half full cup of coffee towards the edge of the table and Mikey took it in his hands and downed it in one. “Your daughter,” he said pointing at Frank “is a monster.” Gerard took the mug back from his brother a giggle was slowly rising up in his throat as Frank and Mikey just stared at each other. He could see Frank’s lips starting to tremble trying to suppress a laugh too. They both knew if they had let their laughs out Mikey would tackle them both to the floor.

He stood there staring at Frank for what seemed like hours, challenging him to start laughing when all of a sudden Leia came running into the kitchen and started tugging on Mikey’s hand once more, “C’mon Miss Mikey! You’ve gotta come back your husband is waiting!” 

“Husband?!” Both Frank and Gerard said together. Realising they had said that at the same time the situation really got the best of them and they both burst out laughing as Leia dragged Mikey back to the sitting room.

“Don’t you dare say anything. She’s a monster!” He warned them both as he disappeared through the threshold.

The moment Mikey left them they both let out the biggest laugh. Gerard couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so much in such a small amount of time. Tears were brimming in his eyes and his breath was slowly running out with each laugh. By the looks of it, Frank wasn’t in much of a better state. His shoulders were quickly jolting up and down and his cheeks had gone a bright red colour.

“I haven’t been gone for that long have I? Last time I was here Mikey was a boy and straight!” Gerard laughed out. He had to hold onto his stomach to stop it from hurting as much as he spoke.

“I’ve heard it was a pretty new occurrence, I haven’t met the man yet.” Frank replied as he wiped his eyes and breathed through his mouth to steady out his laughter. 

“Maybe we should go and see who the lucky groom is…” with that Gerard took both of the mugs and placed both of them into the sink. Frank nodded and hooked his arm around Gerard’s, pulling him into the sitting room.

What they found there wasn’t exactly what they were expecting. Of course Mikey and Leia were there with Gerard’s parents but what they didn’t expect was Mikey to be sitting on the floor opposite Leia who was standing up holding the family cat in her arms trying her very best to ‘marry’ them both with her limited knowledge on the subject.


	7. Chapter 7.

After the ceremony both bride and groom were relieved of their duties for a while. Mikey made a swift exit to the bathroom to remove the make-up and the cat running to Donna for protection.

Gerard was pretty sure that poor cat was scarred for life now.

The rest of the day went in that similar fashion. Every time the little girl asked Mikey a question he looked scared at what she was about to do to him and when it was time to start on the meal she became even more excited (if that was even possible). She had become Chef Leia and she was in charge of everything according to her.

She had made it perfectly clear who was doing what and what she expected from them. That was definitely not a trait she had inherited from Frank. Gerard and Frank had been put in charge of actually making the pasta. ‘Daddy is in charge of pasta because he has big hands and I want lots of pasta’ she had said. Donna was in charge of the meatballs and sauce because it was an old family recipe and she always made the best sauce. Of course Leia was allowed to be at whichever ‘station’ she wanted to be at because she was Chef Leia, so she took that as being able to walk between Frank, Gerard and Donna and being able to taste anything that was going on.

So far Gerard had come out of meeting Leia relatively unscathed. She had told him that she liked him and that she liked his hair a lot but other than that she seemed to be warming to him slowly. That was until she had come up to Frank and Gerard’s side of the workstation and gave him a confused look. He couldn’t lie but it was making him kind of uncomfortable to say the least. She had her hand on her chin and her eyes were squinted as she stepped up onto her mini step ladder she used to become high enough so her head was level with Gerard’s shoulder.

Gerard wanted to desperately ignore her because she was seriously starting to freak him out. Did he have something on his face or something? Had she decided that she didn’t like him suddenly? 

“Uncle Gee?” She asked slowly, her eyes trying to find his as he kneaded a small ball of dough. “You have long hair, Gee.”

“Uhhh…I guess I do. What’s your point?” He should not be this wary of a child but the way she was just staring at him was unnerving.

“You’re cooking you should have it tied up. Daddy always ties my hair up when we’re cooking.” To prove her point she turned to her left and swished her head around so her small ponytail moved slightly.

“I don’t like my hair tied up. I look silly.” He continued to knead the dough and tried to reach Frank’s eyes behind Leia’s head, a silent plea for help. Frank just shrugged his shoulders and continued trying to fix the pasta machine together, a small smile playing on his lips.

“No you need your hair tied up, Gee, please. I’m the chef and if I have my hair up so do you!” She pointed her finger to Gerard. 

He stopped what he was doing and lifted his hands up showing her how dirty his hands were with flour. “My hands are dirty. You don’t want me to get flour in my hair do you, Leia?” He hoped, prayed, that she would let him get away with it. She wasn’t impressed at all.

“Daddy! Tell him, please? It’s not safe.” She put both her hands on her hips and jutted her bottom lip out. ‘Jesus Christ there is the side of Frank coming out’ Gerard thought.

“How can I say no to that?” Frank replied. He dropped the almost put together pasta machine and walked behind Gerard. Pulling a hair tie from around his wrist he ran his fingers through Gerard’s hair, trying to remove any tangles, before tying it into a high ponytail to resemble Leia’s. Gerard thought he was going to die from having Frank’s fingers run through his hair. As he was smoothing out the strands, his fingers pushed against Gerard’s scalp and all Gerard wanted was for that to happen again and again and again.  
He didn’t even care what he looked like anymore because he had Frank’s hands in his hair, it was something he didn’t know he wanted so bad before it happened. He hadn’t even noticed he had shut his eyes and his head had tipped back slightly until Leia spoke again.

“Thank you, Daddy, now me and uncle Gee look cute with our hair tied up! We match, Gee!” 

Frank moved from behind Gerard to go back to his pasta machine, stopping mid-way to re-tighten Leia’s small ponytail. “You do baby girl, you both look very cute.” He said, his eyes locking with Gerard’s over the small girl’s head.

Gerard felt a blush form on his cheeks and turned his attention back to the pasta in his hands. He tried to hide his blush behind his hair but he soon remembered that his hair was tied up so he just gave up on hiding.

Why is this happening to him? Of course when he arrived that day he was expecting to meet Frank’s partner but instead he ended up meeting his daughter. He definitely was not expecting that but he couldn’t stop himself from thinking how his luck had changed that day. Instead of meeting a woman he had met a charming little girl who was very bright beyond her years and he surprised himself because he wants to get to know her more. He wants to be able to talk to her without this ever lingering anxiety in his gut in case he gets things wrong with her.

Children are very fragile and their minds think too much too fast. Anything Gerard says could cause Leia to hate him, that in turn would make Frank hate him too and he desperately didn’t want that to happen. 

While Gerard was battling with his internal self he hadn’t noticed everyone but he had finished their designated jobs and was waiting for him to stop kneading the pasta in his hands. Frank, having already made a large batch of dough and flattened it to be able to thread it through the machine, was wiping Leia’s face where she had acquired flour on her cheeks.

“Dad! Ow, Dad! It hurts stop it you’re wiping off my mark as a chef!”

“You don’t need flour on your face for us to know you’re the head chef, Leia. You already have the apron!” He said, nodding his head to the too big apron hanging off her small frame. 

“But chefs always have flour on their face when I see them on TV.”

“That’s because their Daddies haven’t cleaned them up yet but I’m here now so you get to be clean first.” Leia’s face lit up with recognition as if everything made sense to her again.

She lifted her hands up above her head and Frank took her up and wedged her on his angled hip. “Thank you, Daddy, now I understand. You help me all the time.” She said her voice soft as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Frank placed a kiss on her forehead and used her head to rest his cheek on as he gently swayed them both.

Gerard’s heart swelled at the sight before him and he felt his love for both of them increase tenfold. The sight before him was undeniably cute. He never imagined he would see this side to Frank.

The child’s breathing started to even out a little and Frank whispered to her asking if she wanted to nap for a bit while they finished dinner. Her head gave a small nod on his shoulder and he started walking out of the kitchen asking Donna if it was okay for her to sleep on the couch for a bit. She, of course, nodded with a smile and continued to stir the sauce in the pot on the stove.

Gerard watched Frank leave through the doorway as he whispered sweet things into his daughter’s ear as her eyes and arms began to droop from sleep. It was then he realised how much he had missed since his last visit and he vowed to himself he wouldn’t do it again for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reeaaaally short chapter that is just a filler for you guys but I have been really sick the past week so I haven't been able to keep up with my writing as much as I would have liked, so I apologise :(
> 
> Anyways I hoped you enjoyed! And thank you all for your lovely comments, kudos etc they do mean the world to me <3
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> XO


	8. Chapter 8.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there my lovelies, I hope you all are well and I'd like to apologise again for the lack of updates, I'm still ill ughhh :( I've been sleeping a lot but I've managed to squeeze out a little baby chapter for you guys. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://andyhurled.tumblr.com/) if you would like it anyways :D That's what writers do on here right?
> 
> My Instagram is jesssislame too idk if you guys want to do anything with that I post lame things anyways ^.^
> 
> Until next time!  
> XO

Leia slept soundly on the couch in the living room for a while as the three adults finished the preparation for dinner. Her small chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm while her fingers ran through her dark hair slightly as she slept. Gerard had never seen a child so content and it filled him with ideas and inspirations for his work at college. She was at peace while she slept. Everything was fine and she was content and he desperately wanted to bring some of that childlike innocence to his work. 

He was sat on the couch opposite from hers, his elbows leaning on his knees as they cradled his face. He could see her face shift slightly as she dreamt, a little smile here and a subtle eye roll there. Gerard really wished he could see into her little dream world. What was she dreaming of? What kind of colours were there? He really wanted to know. 

“What are you thinking and why are you staring at my daughter?” Frank walked into the room and sat down next to Gerard, a small smile on his lips. “You always get that face when you’re thinking of something. So tell me what is it that you’re so interested in?” He said as he gently bumped shoulders with Gerard.

“Nothing I was just…I…I wanted to know what she was dreaming about. She seems so content.”

“Why don’t you just ask her when she wakes up? I’m sure she will tell you.” Frank replied as he leaned back into couch.

“Would she really tell me what she was dreaming about? Won’t she find it weird that I’m asking? Do you find it weird?” A spike of panic shot through Gerard’s spine as he thought of Frank finding this weird.

“I’ve known you long enough to know that these questions have reasonable answers so no, I don’t find it weird. Leia might though. No one has ever really asked her about her dreams before, well, in the depth that you undoubtedly will.”

“Hey I’m not going to interrogate her if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just curious what little girls dream of that’s all. What makes her so happy while she’s dreaming and stuff.” A light blush was beginning to return to Gerard’s cheeks as he spoke, he really had a way of making things weird.

“I already told you I don’t find you weird.” Frank insisted. Gerard felt the flat of Frank’s palm place itself on his right thigh in reassurance; his thumb going back and forth along his leg as he spoke. “It’s kind of intriguing actually.”

Gerard could feel his blush turn a deeper shade of red as he locked eyes with Frank over his shoulder. This was not happening to him. He was sure of it. Things like this never happened. 

“Why?” 

“Because it’s interesting to see what your clever mind comes up with. You’re so bright; Gerard and you don’t even see it. It’s one of the many things I like about you, you see things that regular people wouldn’t.”

“You’re too nice to me, Frank.” He said as his eyes fell to his hands that were resting on his lap.

“I’m nice to people who deserve it.” A breathy laugh escaped through Gerard’s lips. He really wanted to believe that.

Gerard didn’t know what to reply so he settled on a ‘mhmm’, his eyes focusing back on Leia’s sleeping form.

“Why do you still have your hair tied up?” Frank asked softly as he brought his hand up to play with the little bit of hair that was coming out of the back of the tie in Gerard’s hair. “Not that it doesn’t look good or you should take it out…I’m just curious I’ve never seen you with your hair tied up for this long.”

Gerard shrugged his shoulders, a quiet ‘don’t know’ passing through his lips. His mind was going 100 miles a minute again as Frank’s fingers ran across his neck and hair again, making a small shiver run down his spine.

“You really like it when I touch you here, huh?” Frank laughed as he continued what he was doing. With one practised pull he took Gerard’s hair from the tie, and ran his tattooed fingers through the soft locks. 

A content sigh left Gerard’s mouth as he felt those fingers run through his hair again, he really did like it when Frank touched him there, he really did. He felt his eyes begin to close, Frank’s fingers in his hair lulling him into a more relaxed state as they slowly massaged his scalp and ran his fingers through the dark, inky strands. He leant back down and sank into the couch next to Frank, his head coming level to his shoulder. 

He felt Frank’s hands slowly come to a stop but he didn’t pull his fingers from his hair, instead he felt him gently grip the strands tighter and tug. Gerard didn’t even realise that it had happened until he felt himself take in a sharp intake of breath from the sensation. A steady warmth settling in his gut as Frank did it again but this time a little bit harder.  
“Gee…” Frank breathed and Gerard could feel the warmth from his breath hit his face as he spoke, “God, what are you doing to me?” Gerard’s eyes fluttered open and he found Frank’s face directly in front, his eyes were wide and a darkness was present within them. “Please tell me you feel this? God, please…” He said as he placed his forehead onto Gerard’s, his eyes never leaving his.

Gerard felt his mouth go dry; he didn’t think he could answer even if he knew what to say so he just nodded. His heart was beating so fast, he could hardly breathe. All he could think about was Frank, Frank’s eyes, his nose and those oh so kissable lips. All there was in that moment was Frank Frank Frank and when he felt his hand come up to cradle his cheek he really wished he knew what to do. Gerard’s mind had gone blank with that was supposed to happen next. He had done this so many times but with Frank being so close he couldn’t for his life think of what to do.

Frank’s eyes searched Gerard’s face for any signs of distress or discomfort and he found none. Instead he found warmth and longing so he did what he had wanted to do for hours. 

The soft press of Frank’s lips to his was what woke him up from his own world because Frank was kissing him. The first was short and chaste but it filled a hole in Gerard’s chest that he had longed to be filled for a while. The second was a lot less cautious from both men. Each of them realised that this was what they needed. Frank’s hand never left Gerard’s cheek as they shared soft kisses, his hand going to the back of his head to pull him down for another and another. That was until they were both startled by a little, sleep heavy voice coming from the other side of the room,

“Daddy, why are you kissing uncle Gee?”


End file.
